Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, Mpumalanga Premier and various stakeholders visits Putco bus services senior management: by Xolisile Dlou

Mpumalanga Premier, Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane visited the senior management of Putco bus Services on Monday, 31 May. The visit comes after the death of six bus commuters on the 21st of May.

The Mpumalanga Government delegation led by various stakeholders namely; MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liason, Vusi Shongwe, Nkangala District Municipality, Executive Mayor Councillor Sarah Masilela and Thembisile Hani Local Municipality Executive Councillor Mayoy Nomsa Mtsweni.

Mtsweni-Tsipane stressed out the importance for the bus company to take responsibility for the horrific tragedy and to do right by the families. “Those people who died are residents of Mpumalanga Province. They were bread winners mostly women. Most importantly they were mothers who had no choice but to board that bus in order to put food on the table for their children. Seated where we are we have an obligation as public representatives to make sure that those women’s dreams for their children are fulfilled,” she said.

After the address by the premier, the bus company agreed to provide the following for the families;

• A contribution of R100 000 towards funeral expenses per family
• Replacing the earnings of the deceased and the injured with a monthly minimum contribution of R10 000 per family
• Four critically injured commuters to be transferred to Milpark Hospital with medical expenses amounting to R1 million per patient to be incurred by Putco
• All involved commuters to receive post-accident trauma counselling provided by Putco
• Putco shall assist all families with Road Accident Fund or Public Liability Insurance applications
• Putco to provide two buses per family for the funerals
• Consider employment opportunities for one family member of each of the deceased families
• Provincial Government has committed to appoint an independent private forensic investigator within 14 days.
• Provincial Government will also appoint independent actuaries to determine the value of prospective financial loss.